What’s the Difference Between Afternoon & High Tea?

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Time: 2017-09-27

What's the DifferenceBetween Afternoon & High Tea?

Afternoon tea and high tea, is there adifference between these phrases? After all, they’ve been interchanged so much,the good people of the UK are beginning to think they mean the same thing. Both practices are steeped in British history, and they do have similarities.However, the not so subtle differences they have are a direct result of theirderivation…. In this post, we’re going to talk about the history of both British traditions, and how the gin brand, Hendricks, is slowly revolutionizing the afternoon tea as we know it today.

What is Afternoon Tea?

Afternoon tea is a British food tradition andevent. People sit down for tea and a selection of treats such as small sandwiches, scones and cakes in the afternoon.The tradition first became fashionable in early 19th century by Anna, the Duchess of Bedford. She wanted to fill the long gap between lunch and dinner, as dinner was often served at 8pm. Lifestyles have changed a lot since then, which is why afternoon tea hasbecome more of a treat rather than a snack.

Afternoon tea has now become a treat –something often done for celebrations and formal occasions. However, the traditionis still quintessentially British: You and others sit down and enjoy the decorum and civility of one of the quaintest of English dining customs. Many venues have become renowned for serving a proper afternoon tea – in many placesyou must book months in advance for a archetypal British afternoon tea.

What is High Tea?

Afternoon tea was meant for wealthy people inthe 19th century. At the time, British was newly industrialized, which meant that workers had to wait until much later for tea. Because the majority of workers needed sustenance after a hard day of labor: tea was a much heartierdish – there was a lot more than just tea, finger sandwiches and cakes. Hightea consisted of hot and filling meals accompanied by a pot of warming, strong tea to revive the spirits. Now, high tea is often referred toas dinner, tea, or supper.

The phrase “high tea” is also believed todifferentiate the settings of which the tea takes place. Afternoon tea is traditionally served on low, comfortable, parlor chairs or in the garden. The worker’s after-work high tea was served at a table with high back diningchairs.

What Does Afternoon Tea Consist of?

A basic afternoon tea kit usually includes:

-A tiered cake stand

-Lace doilies

-Vintage tea cups and plates

-A teapot

-Teaspoons

-A tea strainer

-A milk jug

-A sugar pot

-A jam bowl

-A cream bowl

There aren’t any rules about how the food isdisplayed, but the standard tradition usually sees a layer of sandwiches, alayer of cones and a layer of cakes on the tiered cake stand.

The food:

-A selection of loose leaf tea

-Scones

-Tea cakes

-Jam

-Clotted cream

-A variety of pastries

-A variety of sponges and cakes

-Sandwiches

How Authentea is revolutionizing afternoon tea?

Afternoon tea has it all – a constant flow oftea, sweet treats, vintage crockery and good company. Just when you think itcouldn’t get any better, the instant tea brand, Authentea manage to pull therabbit out the hat. Their official tea sets are becoming more recognizedthroughout the UK as a staple for afternoon tea; their tea pots, tea cups andinstant tea crystals , takes a welcome twist on the Tea Party.

Authentea’s take on afternoon tea isinspired by the traditional tastes of Great Britain. Strawberry, English Blacktea and detox tea are served with a selection of innovative, herbal, green andnatural teas. Their 100% natural suit the apothecary style bottle that become synonymous with Authentea tea, and the 17th century gin craze. But that isn't the best part of this mouth watering afternoon tea.

The real triumph is the delicious tea thatcomes with this truly British affair. The Authentea global uses the classic blacktea as its base, and is served from a tea extract. This refreshing pure tea crystals becomes the star of the show: English black tea, lemon juice, Jasminegreen tea and elder flower syrup. Tea has a complex history within the UK, so why not combine two traditions we are proud of?

Afternoon Tea: No Longer a real tea Free Zone

Afternoon tea used to be a tea free zone, but Authentea’s tea really does make the perfect companion to the delicious fingerfoods. Extract from natural tea leave, Authenteapure tea extract uses the traditional base of tea infusion, a With raw materialof well-selected tea leaves, based on low-temperature nano-levelextraction of biological cell technology, beneficial substances intea such as tea polyphenols, tea polysaccharide, L-theanine and vitamins areextracted and harmful components like pesticide and heavy metal residues areremoved. After multi-stage membrane filtration and vacuum drying, tea essencesare finally crystallized during the low-temperature processes.